The present invention relates to a sidewall protection cover for an antiskid chain as well as to an antiskid chain equipped with such a sidewall protection cover. The antiskid chains described here are, in particular, antiskid chains having a chain mesh with track crosspieces and at least one side strand, which has chain links and lies against a sidewall of a vehicle wheel (particularly the tire sidewall and/or the rim on the outside of the wheel) when in an installed state. The track crosspieces are connected with the side strand by way of connection means (for example, in the form of a hook), suspended in at least one chain link of the side strand, in each instance, where a sidewall protection cover is provided per connection means.
A sidewall protection cover of the type described here is used in antiskid chains for vehicle tires and wheels, and serves to protect a sidewall of a vehicle tire and/or rim on which the antiskid chain according to this invention is affixed. Specifically in the case of antiskid chains, there is a risk of damage to the sidewall, particularly at the location of the connection of the track crosspieces to a side strand. The element that serves to make the connection between the track crosspieces and the side strand (for example, a metal hook), which is generally larger than the links of the track crosspieces, because of its function, can impair or even damage the surface of the wheel sidewall surface when it makes contact with the surface thereof. By the use of a sidewall protection cover, the connection element may essentially be packaged so that the wheel sidewall remains undamaged.
Within the scope of this disclosure, the term “track crosspieces” is understood to mean those chain parts or strand parts of the antiskid chain that run over the running surface of the tire and/or serve to connect such chains/strand parts with a side strand.
European Patent No. 2 163 409 discloses a device of this type, specifically a rim protection device that consists of a two-part shell that can be flipped open, in which a chain link and a hook are enclosed, where, in the state of being affixed on the chain, only that part of the hook that serves for connecting chain mesh parts projects out of the rim protection device. Drawbacks to this device include that it is complicated in terms of its structure and tends to collect dirt in its interior.
European Patent No. 1 520 734 discloses a bracing device for snow chains in which the track crosspiece is suspended in the side strand by way of hooks. A head part of this bracing device encloses the chain link of the side strand into which such a hook is suspended, but leaves the hook itself free, so that the latter can still come into contact with the sidewall or rim.
European Patent No. 0 976 588 discloses a sidewall protection device which encloses the hook entirely, together with the related end links of the track crosspiece chains. Drawbacks to this device include that during the operation of the antiskid chain, additional stresses occur at the track crosspiece and at the sidewall protection cover itself, and equalization movements of the track crosspiece lead to movements of the device relative to the sidewall of the tire.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to create a sidewall protection device that can be produced with little effort and installed in a simple manner, that covers the connection location and which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of the known devices.